Revered in ancient Rome as an aphrodisiac and proverbial for their benefits on eyesight, carrots are sweet and bitter with a heating energy. They calm vata and kapha. Their high antioxidant content is the reason why carrots are used for blood cleansing, liver cleansing and cancer healing. Yet, delicious and comforting as they are, carrots may disturb pitta if consumed in excess. Balance carrots with pitta-soothing vegetables such as green peas, leafy dark greens or cilantro. And be especially cautious with carrot juice, because it is highly concentrated. It is best for pitta to combine cucumber, cilantro or aloe vera juice with their carrot juice.

Daucus carota subsp. sativus (Hoffm.) Arcang.

Apiaceae

Sanskrit: Gājara

Hindi: Gājar

Carrots were first cultivated on the Iranian plateau--a region comprising today's Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran. Although wild carrots (Daucus carota var carota) have a woody and unpleasant-tasting whitish root, the agriculturalists of five thousand years ago developed tasty and nutritious purple and yellow carrots. Over centuries of cultivation, carrots with different nutritional profiles were developed. In Europe we are accustomed to orange carrots, which are the richest variety for beta-carotene content and easy to grow as well. However, in India, red, purple and near-black carrots were grown, (Daucus carota ssp. sativus var. atrorubens Alef.). Purple and black carrots contain major antioxidants--anthocyanins, pheolics and flavonoids, while red carrots are a good source of the important eye nutrient, lycopene. Seeds of these Asiatic carrots are now available from seed companies. We recommend growing or using both European and Asiatic varieties of carrot for their specialized antioxidant profile, although red and black carrots are definitely more erratic producers than standard orange varieties.

Rasa: Madhura tikta (Sweet and bitter)

Virya: Ushna (heating)

Vipak: Katu (pungent)

Guna: Laghu (light)

Karmas:

Anti-haemorrhage

Anti-haemorrhoid

Anti-dysenteric

Good for eye health

Remedies:

Diarrhoea and dysentery: Well-steamed carrots with ghee are the first vegetable to eat after an episode of diarrhea or dysentery and help in gut healing. Carrots are an important prebiotic food to aid restoration of your microbiome.

Sprue and malabsorption: 1 cup carrot juice with a pinch of trikatu twice daily. (Trikatu consists of dry ginger, black pepper and pippali or long pepper. If you don't have trikatu use dry ginger instead).

Alakananda Ma M.B., B.S. (Lond.) is an Ayurvedic Doctor (NAMA) and graduate of a top London medical school. She is co-founder of Alandi Ayurveda Clinic and Alandi Ayurveda Gurukula in Boulder Colorado, as well as a spiritual mother, teacher, flower essence maker and storyteller. Alakananda is a well known and highly respected practitioner in the Ayurveda community both nationally and internationally.

Ayurveda, literally translated as the “science of life,” is the ancient Indian art of physical, mental, and emotional healing. Based on harmonizing the natural elements within and around us, Ayurvedic medicine is a time-tested system of holistic health that is highly specific to each unique individual. Ayurvedic treatments include delicious foods, medicinal herbs, massage, yoga, meditation, and other simple lifestyle changes that work to restore your body to its innate, healthy balance. LEARN MORE